BBC Trust definition of purpose remit

BBC viewers, listeners and users can rely on the BBC to provide internationally respected news services to audiences around the world and they can expect the BBC to keep them in touch with what is going on in the world, giving insight into the way people live in other countries.

Purpose priorities

The BBC Trust, after public consultation, has divided this remit into three specific priorities:

1. Build a global understanding of international issues:
   a) Provide international news broadcasting of the highest quality.
   b) Enable individuals to participate in the global debate on significant international issues.
2. Enhance UK audiences' awareness and understanding of international issues.
3. Broaden UK audiences' experience of and exposure to different cultures from around the world.

Purpose performance

Several BBC services and divisions work in conjunction to realise the BBC's global purpose. BBC Global News (of which the BBC World Service is a part) and BBC Worldwide (which is outside the scope of the purpose plans and remits) together represent the BBC to audiences around the world. At home, BBC News aspires to remain the standard-setter for international journalism, helping UK audiences both to remain informed about world events and also to understand the diversity of cultures and societies around the world.

While BBC Global News will take the lead in delivering the first part of this purpose - "bringing the UK to the world" - and domestic services across television, radio and online are important in "bringing the world to the UK", it is important to stress that cooperation across the BBC's international and domestic divisions will be increasingly important in delivering the purpose. For example, BBC News will continue to be the primary supplier of news content to BBC Global News while BBC Monitoring (Global News's worldwide open-source media monitoring unit) plays an important role in facilitating understanding of how media around the world are reporting events in the UK.

In delivering this purpose, the BBC begins from a position of relative strength:

• Reach: The combined global reach of the BBC's global news services on radio, television and online is more than 230 million weekly users.
• Reputation and brand: On balance, across markets and surveys, the BBC continues to be seen as the most trusted and objective international news provider.
• Impact: Thanks to our global reach, the BBC is able to provide unparalleled breadth and depth of reporting to audiences in the UK and abroad, epitomised, for example, by our coverage of big global events such as the Iraq war.
• Global footprint: The BBC operates the widest-reaching international newsgathering network of any broadcaster.
• Multilingual expertise and diversity: The BBC operates in 33 languages around the world, giving us a huge range of local expertise and insight.

The BBC faces major challenges in meeting the global purpose and maintaining its position as the largest and most trusted provider of international news and information. Markets, technologies and audience needs are diverse and changing fast - the BBC needs to be present on the right platforms with the right offer to reflect the diversity of audience demands.

Clearly, the BBC must find ways to support and develop its offer, maintaining quality, ensuring distinctiveness and increasing its relevance to audiences.

BBC management's response to challenges

In 2006, the then BBC Governors approved the Global News strategy to 2010. Key elements of that were:

• A single coherent structure for global consumer-facing news services, with the Global News Division as a single funnel for the international exploitation of news rights.
• Clear prioritisation of markets to ensure focus, given limited resources.
• A coherent funding framework, recognising that there will necessarily be a mix of funding - some public and some commercial for international news services.
• A single brand approach for global news services in English.
• Investment in key service priorities including English on-demand and vernacular television.

Since then, the BBC has completed an organisation-wide six-year strategy plan, Delivering Creative Future. Key elements of Delivering Creative Future have been detailed in the other purpose plans, many of which bear on the BBC's global purpose. For example, the Citizenship purpose plan outlines initiatives on journalism which will support the delivery of the global purpose plan as well.

Global News is currently in the process of taking forward the Creative Future agenda with a recently commissioned project entitled Delivering Creative Future in Global News. The intention of this work is to apply the themes of the BBC's Delivering Creative Future programme and to map out how the BBC's international news services (principally the BBC World Service, BBC World and bbc.com/news) can work together to maximum effect in pursuit of consistently high standards of relevant, reliable, unbiased and thoughtful journalism for all of our target audiences. One of the further aims of this project is to detail the original strategy further to arrive at specific market plans. The focus is to ensure that the BBC can deliver a range of services to priority markets on the most relevant platforms. Priority markets and services have been defined to ensure a focused approach - however, these are being constantly reviewed to ensure that the BBC is in tune with the changing global realities. The current priorities are:

1 Global English

English will continue to be the core global offer, serving influencers around the world. The global English offer needs to be a fully multimedia portfolio, including linear radio and TV, and digital on-demand services across text, audio and video. The roles of various media will vary by market development. Commercial services (BBC World and bbc.com/news) will play a critical role in the more developed markets. World Service English radio will continue to target influencers in areas where it can have cost-effective impact - especially in less commercial markets. Although Global News operates a mixed funding model in English, serious, standard-setting journalism in support of public service ambitions is the ultimate end for each medium.

2 Key language markets

The BBC will seek to provide a vernacular multimedia service in priority language markets - the Arab and wider Islamic world, including Pakistan, Iran and Indonesia; and China, Russia, India, and Spanish Latin America.

3 Other language markets

The BBC will continue to serve key less-developed markets in Africa and Asia, such as Nigeria and Bangladesh, as well as a number of information-poor language markets with a clear need for independent information, Offers in these languages need to focus on the most relevant media for their markets, with a heavy emphasis on cost-effective delivery.

Alongside the international priorities, the BBC is also committed to ensuring that the audiences in the UK benefit from the expertise and reach of BBC Global News. Initiatives include changing the internal processes and structures so that all news services work closer together - for example, the creation of the new global news hub. The UK services will also increase their interaction with language services, all of which have considerable knowledge about the markets they serve.

Beyond the Global News strategy, the BBC will also continue to use its domestic television and radio services to cover international issues and deepen the UK audience's understanding of the world around them. Coverage of international news in regular bulletins, in-depth exploration of international topics in current affairs and documentary, and the showcasing of high-quality international talent and creativity through film and other acquired programming will all play a part in this.

BBC management considers that these proposals will go some considerable way to future-proofing delivery of the global purpose. However, management recognises the need to be agile and flexible in a time of rapid change and these proposals will be constantly reviewed and updated.

Delivering purpose priorities

1 a) Provide international news broadcasting of the highest quality

BBC Trust: "The BBC's journalism for international audiences should share the same values as its journalism for UK audiences: accuracy, impartiality and independence. International audiences should value BBC news and current affairs for providing reliable and unbiased information of relevance, range and depth."

BBC Global News, although funded separately from the BBC's domestic public services, aspires to play a critical role as a vital and dynamic part of the corporation, representing the BBC around the world together with BBC Worldwide. Global News comprises a number of different services in 33 languages, including the World Service (and World Service Trust), BBC World, editorial oversight of bbc.com/news, and BBC Monitoring. Despite the complexity of these services, Global News management recognise that most audiences around the world identify simply with 'news from the BBC' and increasingly Global News is aligning its structure and operations in accordance with this simplicity.

BBC News will continue to be the biggest supply partner for BBC World Service and BBC World. The quality of its journalism will be reflected in the reputation of both parts of the corporation across the range of English-language radio schedules and other language services. We will continually revisit the languages we broadcast in and the platforms we broadcast on to ensure that the most appropriate content is delivered in the most convenient way for our audiences.

The BBC's network of internationally based journalists will continue to distinguish its global news provision from other broadcasters (particularly at a time when many competitors are reducing foreign newsgathering and coverage). BBC Global News's specific editorial expertise and resources will contribute towards delivering this priority by maintaining an up-to-date view of international audience needs and their expectations of news from the BBC. The BBC - across its whole news area - will continue to invest in quality reporting, commentary and analysis from wherever the news may be coming from (subject to access). We will investigate major stories and offer a range of opinions and comment, inviting our listeners, viewers and users to reach their own conclusions.

The BBC will continue to seek out new ways to improve how it manages and supplies its news content through enhancing opportunities to improve coordination, provide greater coherence around commissioning, and deliver easier internal communication and increased collaboration: all designed to improve the user experience. BBC Global News will continue to assess and, as required, improve its provision.

The BBC will ensure that it recruits and retains high-calibre journalists by tapping into the best talent available in the UK and internationally and by providing in-depth training and support to its journalists, ensuring that they have the skills, tools and knowledge necessary to bring high-quality, impartial news to audiences and maintain high levels of trust.

BBC Monitoring will continue to serve its stakeholders and partners as a source of trusted information by monitoring global media, thereby maintaining its reputation as a centre of excellence and a unique resource among international broadcasters.

1 b) Enable individuals to participate in the global debate on significant international issues

BBC Trust: "The BBC should inform conversation and debate, providing forums where its international audiences can debate issues they find important."

The primary nature of linear broadcasting will remain the same as it is today, and even in the digital age BBC Global News will be providing content for mass consumption.

The nature of digital technology also means improved opportunities to connect with audiences - and BBC Global News will consider carefully the various access needs of its diverse audiences and continue to seek ways to give voice to its many listeners, viewers and users. From emails read out by presenters, to questions put to world leaders, to chatrooms and websites where people can debate and engage in dialogue free from fear and censorship, the BBC will make space available to support free speech and informed democracy.

BBC Global News will continue producing programme seasons on key global problems as a means of engaging audiences in the big issues and helping them make sense of the world they live in.

BBC Global News will engage enthusiastically with initiatives across the wider BBC, and in its collaborations and communications within the corporation it will seek to cover the big international stories and events in interesting and creative ways, drawing on best practice from the Home Services and adapting it for its own audiences' needs, as appropriate.

bbc.com will use its dedicated web portal to unite users throughout the world through providing accessible content and spaces to share.

2 Enhance UK audiences' awareness and understanding of international issues

BBC Trust: "The BBC should provide high-quality coverage of global issues in its news and current affairs and other output for the UK. Coverage should serve all audiences and ensure a breadth of perspective. The BBC should offer a high-quality service of international media monitoring."

The BBC's journalism in the UK will reflect a global as well as national and local agenda. It will include a range of international voices across its news output, including in-depth interviews with significant figures. Long-form journalism and documentary on television and radio will include international subject matter. The coverage of international events and issues will be supported by the BBC's international newsgathering bureaux and correspondents who can provide context, insight and analysis.

BBC One and BBC Two will be the primary television services covering global news, events and issues in an accessible but challenging manner for broad-based UK audiences. They will aim to draw in new users without alienating their core audiences or those who come to a story with some pre-knowledge. In so doing, the BBC will ensure that its standards and reputation for international news coverage are maintained and not diluted. BBC Four's news output will demonstrate a distinctively international perspective. The news bulletins on CBBC will include coverage of international events and issues, introducing a wide perspective to young viewers.

Across the portfolio, the BBC's current affairs, factual and documentary output will regularly cover international stories and topics in an independent and authoritative manner. BBC One will play an important role in bringing major international issues to the attention of broad audiences through its factual landmark programmes in particular. BBC Two's current affairs and documentary output will have a strong international agenda, and BBC Four's documentary strategy will also include in-depth, strongly authored exploration of international subject matter. BBC Three will also bring international issues to the attention of its younger adult viewers through its news and current affairs output.

Radio speech journalism across the BBC's portfolio - including the nations radio services - will offer wide-ranging coverage of international issues and events. Documentaries and factual output on Radio 4 in particular will explore international issues and events in considerable depth and more extensively than other radio services in the UK. The annual Reith Lectures will continue, offering insight to audiences worldwide via Radio 4 online and BBC World Service.

The BBC's continuous news services - BBC News Channel, Radio 5 Live and bbc.co.uk/news - have the time and space to offer comprehensive and in-depth coverage of world affairs. BBC News Channel will continue to offer a more international news agenda than the other main continuous news channel(s) in the UK. Radio 5 Live's debates and discussions will regularly cover international subjects and include international experts and news makers.

bbc.co.uk will provide extensive coverage of international issues, giving context that will enable users to better understand those key events that are relevant to UK audiences. News pages will be regularly updated, covering breaking news stories as well as providing rigorous and trusted analysis on major developments. bbc.co.uk will aggregate and present the best online content - from the BBC and elsewhere - around major international news stories for UK audiences, and provide detailed information on countries around the world, covering the history, politics and economic background of countries, and background on key institutions.

Through BBC Monitoring, the BBC will offer a high-quality service of international media monitoring, to ensure that the BBC focuses on the harder global issues of geopolitics and war from a position of reportage, and that individual stories and experiences used to illustrate the news are given a wider context.

3 Broaden UK audiences' experience of and exposure to different cultures from around the world

BBC Trust: "The BBC should provide output that increases all UK audiences' knowledge of other societies from around the world and their concerns. The BBC should also bring to its UK audience high-quality international music, film, arts and other creative work."

The BBC will continue to provide output that increases all UK audiences' knowledge of other societies from around the world and their concerns, which will show in its commitment to include high-quality international music, film, arts and other creative work across its services. It will bring to UK audiences content that is not just from the USA, but carries the best in creativity from all corners of the globe.

BBC Two will offer - in concert with BBC Four - non-news output that reflects international themes: the best of global arts, music, documentary and film, for example, helping to bring a sense of place to UK audiences and giving context to ongoing news stories by exploring cultural developments. BBC Four has a particular role to play here in showcasing foreign film, but other television services will also acquire high-quality foreign films and series for their respective audiences.

Musical output on radio will showcase the best global musical talent to UK audiences. Radio 1 and Radio 2 will cover selected music events from around the world. Across radio, speech-based programmes will explore a range of international music, history and culture.

Radio 3 will expose listeners to music and the arts - often in partnership with non-UK broadcasters - from outside the UK. It will continue to provide international coverage of musical performance, including full opera broadcasts.

Radio 5 Live will carry extensive overseas sport coverage, from commentary to in-depth journalism, including occasional seasons that look at particular sports and their impact on the world around us. This will be supplemented on 5 Live Sports Extra with its live sports coverage from some major international events, such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games and European football. Live international sport and highlights will also remain valuable fixtures in our television schedules, subject to the acquisition of rights.